The Underwater Adventures of PT Hirschfield (click a story below)

Video: Spider Crab Pyramid

I’ve been getting into the water a lot more lately. I don’t believe that having to give up work because you’ve been diagnosed with terminal cancer means that you just need to lie down and wait to die. Palliative radiation has helped to control my symptoms to the point where I am now able to dive with a bit of help at least once or twice a week. Although I can no longer work in the traditional sense, helping others to experience the incredible life that swims and scurries beneath the ocean’s surface just feels like what I am meant to do. With that newfound sense of purpose in mind, what a BRILLIANT Dive 329 I had today with my weekday buddy Great White and first time buddy Mark Johnston. We were just swimming along in 3 metres of water alongside Blairgowrie Pier, minding our own business when THIS happened!

Here are a few videos that I filmed of last year’s stunning spider crab migration:

But back to this week’s pyramid! How exhilarating to stumble across close to 1000 spider crabs during yet another pre-migration appearance for the 2015 season!

While video and images like this are bound to set Melbourne diver’s pulses racing straight for Blairgowrie Pier over the next couple of days, past experience suggests that this pyramid of crabs may well move from where we found them today, vanishing from sight once again until their proper migration at Rye Pier in several weeks time.

Having spotted them about a month ago in greater masses at Blairgowrie, I anticipate a full migration in maybe 2-5 weeks at Rye, probably when the water temperature drops to around 14 degrees celcius. Rest assured that when the migration starts, I intend to be in the water with them as they mate and moult in their tens of thousands.

While I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to film and photograph these gorgeous, gentle creatures today, it broke my heart to have to spend a fair bit of time untangling many of them from discarded fishing line. As custodians of this planet and its gorgeous blue oceans, let’s all take responsibility for our actions and do all we can to ensure that we love, respect and protect – rather than carelessly endanger – the precious pyramids and swirls of life beneath the surface.

Imagine my surprise and delight when the world got as excited about this amazing spider crab pyramid as I did (just Google ‘spider crab pyramid’ to see what I mean!) Tanks so much to each one of you for your interest in these fascinating critters! 😀

Love and bubbles,

PT xxx

ps Tank you so much for reading this post. While you’re here, please check out some more of my ‘scuba vs tumour’ underwater adventures.

pps And DON’T forget to follow this blog by email for new post updates … and PLEASE follow PINK TANK SCUBA on Facebook! Tank You 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hey intrepid – that’s an exciting report. Was the pyramid the same size? Where was it in relation to the pier? Please feel free to join the new Spider Crabs Melbourne FB page to add your observation to the new database tracking the spider crabs. Happy diving! 😀 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1614382088802999/

Hi PT, great footage, how exciting. My 13 year old son recently reminded me that we needed to check when the spider crabs were due to come in, he’s so very keen to see them. We had thought it would be May (I guess we are almost there) Have we missed them? We have heard Rye Peir is a good spot, where would you recommend we try this weekend? We are just snorkelers at this stage.

Hi Rebecca, tanks for your kind words! We are still waiting for the full migration at Rye Pier, hopefully sometime within the next month? Please feel free to join the Spider Crabs Melbourne Facebook page for updates on this year’s migration. They are sooooo amazing – you and your son will just love them! 🙂 Love and bubbles, PT xxx